Archive for the Products Category

Developers of MyNewsVu seek partners among television stations, networks and vendors of television news automation products. Roland Boucher and his co-founder Stevan Vigneaux have created a product they describe as “next generation on demand news-site software.” Messieurs Boucher and Vigneaux say they are reinventing television for the connected age.

MyNewsVu offers a personalized rundown or playlist of news stories on a station or network’s website. Recent research notes video is king of online content. Other studies indicate user experience is the must have in presentation of media. Boucher says MyNewsVu promises an “individually-personalized TV newscast to each and every viewer.” Here are a couple of ways to check on his statement. Engineers and techie types perhaps would prefer to watch the presentation of the technology and business case for MyNewsVu. Editorial professionals bored with technical information, who just want to know how it works, likely would choose to test the service itself. The links provide you both experiences.

In this age when Jon Stewart is probably the most trusted news source in the United States of America his Daily Show website is user friendly. Stewart’s site offers an easy online presentation of his comedy channel program. MyNewsVu proposes an interesting solution for broadcasters searching for new and friendlier methods to communicate with audiences, who demand content when and where they desire.

So for those interested, here’s an opportunity to get in on the development stage of technology to deliver personalized viewing experiences for television news and shape the user experience. Boucher calls for partners to help polish MyNewsVu. He says they are “currently seeking development partners from a major Network News Organization or a Newsroom Automation and/or News Production Systems Company wishing to extend their News Production Workflow to include Internet delivered TV newscasts.” Help fashion the future and reach out to MyNewsVu. Contact information is on their website and to give you a better user experience here’s Roland’s email address Roland@MyNewsVu.com.

The entrepreneur discusses the megaphone everyone has with an Internet connection. The people who are the new competition or ally to traditional (sometimes referred to as “old”) media. In this decade the power to inexpensively reach global audiences burst into being. Herman provides a new tool with Storify.

He points out in the Times piece:

“This democratization of media means anyone can reach out and find others who share their vision, regardless of geographic boundaries. Causes can spread at the speed of light, and “go viral” as they are shared on social networks.”

The “democratization” has exponentially created the same noise as cable television’s numerous channels. So the audience is frustrated trying to find information that meets their needs among new and old media types competing for their valuable and short attention.

So far technology has failed to discover a way to filter noise and help people get to information they want. Over the next two weeks Broadcast Newsroom Computing will present a couple new technologies answering the need. The first is Storify which is perhaps best described as a noise filtering tool.

Herman defines new noise filters as curators; humans who package information in a consumable form and present it like paintings in a modern art museum. Let me lift another entire paragraph from Herman’s opinion.

“…a new class of gatekeepers has arisen, people whose reputations are built on their ability to highlight relevant information to their audiences. We are still looking for the right word to call these new gatekeepers, but so far “curator” is what appears most appropriate.”

He writes at the heart of the new approach is social media where people congregate based on shared interests. Storify is a utility to gather information of common interest and present in a playlist fashion. So I created a Storify story on social media business cases as example of both new medium and the new tool. Here’s the link to the story.

There you have it; Herman’s new venture Storify and new approach to presenting information in the new decade. Can I write “new” again? Maybe next time when BNC reports on another such tool for gathering news and presenting it based on audience preference.

Big conferences begin in Las Vegas, Nevada this week. The meetings are where broadcasters from around the globe consider new tools to make content for television, radio and the Internet. As recession concerns loom there is a new incantation you’ll hear for some time to come in my opinion.

Broadcasting and Cable in a special report “NAB 2010 Shopping Lists” underscores attitudes of those who will watch exhibits in Las Vegas. B&C reports “top engineers from station groups are looking for technology that matches the new economic realities of the broadcast business.” No doubt from the convention floor exhibitors will shout the mantra “better and cheaper” and point to their products. However buyers are savvier these days and require fulfillment of such promises.

A fresh B&C report is clear indication of how broadcasters are thinking. BitCentral won a huge deal with Gannett Company and kicked Avid Technology to the curb, so to speak. According to Broadcasting and Cable 23 Gannett owned television stations in 19 markets will move from the expensive Avid video production solution as they overhaul news production. The newsroom computer system, non-linear editors and video storage system will be replaced at Gannett stations with BitCentral’s Precis and Oasis servers and the Associated Press’sElectronic News Production System.

Gannett’s vice president of technology, Jeff Johnson was quoted by B&C.

"First of all, one of the things we had to have was commodity-based hardware. Then it was just the tie-in with AP [ENPS] and the overall flexibility."

The times have changed and so has the mantra for purchasing media technology. Vendors will have to live up to claims of openness to win deals with major broadcasters like Gannett. It appears this year at least competition is wide open.

One of the best places to learn about new thinking in media technology will be at the Techcon10 Technology Conference held by the Public Broadcasting System for the United States. Techcon10 starts April 7, 2010 and you will get a good idea of the conference from last year’s presentations. For years, I handled the Avid exhibit at Techcon and learned the benefit of the PBS conference to comprehending media technology.

Broadcast Newsroom Computing next looks at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s local news center initiative.

You will no doubt hear in coming weeks many vendors promise economy in media technology. In recent posts Broadcast Newsroom Computing offers our opinion of solutions media producers should consider. This time BNC offers another. Endorsement of these answers to production demands is beyond Broadcast Newsroom Computing.

A booth to visit if you travel to Las Vegas, Nevada and the National Association of Broadcasters Convention and Exhibit is EditShare. My background consulting a major vendor of video production systems, I believe, gives me foundation for examining offerings of players in end-to-end file based media production. EditShare was brought to my attention by a savvy business associate and I have become intrigued with the suite of products Andy Liebman,. EditShare founder and chief executive, put together.

His client list shows others are influenced by products EditShare calls technology leadership “in cross platform collaborative editing and shared media storage.” Among a dizzying number of vendors attending the NAB confab, Liebman has news of what happened to some brand names with which broadcasters are familiar. EditShare purchased Geevs and Lightworks last summer. Geevs video play out servers and Lightworks editors complement EditShare’s product portfolio.

Liebman promises more new tools this year. “We will also be unveiling many significant new features in our Flow, Xstream and Ark product lines that amplify the interoperability of our Complete Collaboration products.” He has titled his electronic brochure as the “Value Proposition.” He suggests the economy many media producers’ budgets are begging.

EditShare and Resolution Digital Solutions in Chicago, Illinois provide an example of how EditShare products fit multi-platform and file based media production. You will hear a lot of discussion about value these days. How you interpret value depends on whether you are concerned about cost alone or production efficiency as well as your budget. Either way consider the Liebman school of thought on media production.

Next BNC reports on increasing requirements for agnostic solutions to media production.

The annual bash for television and radio executives in the United States is just a few weeks away. Every year broadcasters from around the world flock to Las Vegas, Nevada in the tens of thousands to learn of innovations in technology and services.

There is one booth expected on the huge exhibit floor at the National Association of Broadcasters convention producers of live video for multiple platforms, television and the web, should visit. This post only suggests products to consider.

The competition for advances in media technology has increased especially as the economy has worsened. Major American broadcasters are still laying off workers and restructuring like KCBS in Los Angeles. ABC News is laying off journalists and closing bureaus this year so economic issues persist.

Broadcast Pix makes live video integration technology. Broadcast Pix is obviously targeting broadcasters. However, traditional media purveyors make up a very small portion of their market share according to inside sources. This is the decade of multi-platform and broadcasters require solutions to fit limited budgets. BP recognizes the new order of media production in my opinion.

I respect the view of WRAL-TV chief engineer Pete Sockett. Broadcast Pix quotes him in their marketing material. “… compared to building legacy HD control rooms, the Slate 5000 HD (BP top of line controller) reduces equipment costs by as much as $100,000 per studio because it integrates so many production elements into a single unit.” Sockett refers to a solution that reduces the requirement for control room operators to one.

Broadcast Pix underscores the value of cost savings with its solutions for live video production. BP has wrapped a number of control room tools into a single controller. The products make live video presentation more cost efficient whether for television or the web or closed circuit. The Massachusetts’ based manufacturer claims a 70 % reduction in control room costs with their products.

Prognosticators of all sorts opine about the new decade. At Broadcast Newsroom Computing we believe their predictions deserve attention.

Let’s start by looking back at Popular Mechanics report on the trends that ruled the past year. We will consider only a few trends. The website notes the rise in the number of movie theatres capable of showing 3D films “mushroomed” to numbers in the thousands last year. Filmmakers now have a greater platform able to reach a larger number of consumers and to forecast profit from their productions. Furthermore 3D television was all the rage at the just ended Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Popular Mechanics wrote “a large line-up of 3D TVs and Blu-ray movies is expected to bring the experience home in 2010.”

PM highlights app stores as the rage with the Apple App Store offering hundreds of thousands of applications for its iPhone. Smartphone platforms like Blackberry, Palm and the new Android all followed with their own app stores. BNC will consider the increase in apps in a future post.

The magazine and website Popular Mechanics delivers a lot of words on the subject of future products. In a year old report “16 Wild Materials You May Find in Future Products” electronic paper is one that jumps out. It’s a technology for a thin flexible display of digital images. The article suggests “the material could be used to create a portable “origami DVD player,” which would unfold to reveal a big screen.”

Why consider these advances in technology? Let’s try to comprehend now how video will be consumed in this new decade. Will we watch 3D movies on fabric we unfold from our pockets in 2020? It’s possible with technologies existing today at the beginning of the decennium.

Broadcast Newsroom Computing, as promised, will next examine apps and what they mean to broadcasting.

Milestones at Apple Computer over the last decade certainly suggest the computer giant owned the decennium. Amazon wrapped the decade on a high with the retail monster’s founder and chief executive braying “we are grateful to our customers for making Kindle the most gifted item ever in our history.” Jeff Bezos must realize Amazon loses money on Kindle and new book release sales and profits little on older titles. That was 2009.

Hilarious yet perplexing are YouTube videos speculating an Apple Tablet. The iPod innovator is expected, as it were gospel, to introduce a tablet reader personal information entertainment device. GIZMODO created an “exhaustive guide” to rumors about an Apple tablet.

Bloomberg.com regurgitates a report from once Google executive Lee Kai fu’s blog purporting Apple expects to ship ten-million tablets in 2010. The finance community is abuzz regarding an Apple tablet yet to be officially announced.

What does it mean to media and broadcasters? Over the next few weeks Broadcast Newsroom Computing will post reports on predictions for the year and decade ahead. The cliché “interesting times” lives. These are times for genuine new thinking to manage new technology and to profit. An Apple tablet, anything like gossip indicates, is a game changer.

Content publishers would expect friendlier revenue sharing terms from an Apple model than Google’s split on eBooks. Magazines look to win big with a mobile platform to present creatively produced, new, engaging and long lasting interactive content. Maybe even a new advertising medium. Several types of media and revenue opportunities are paraded in the example of Apple tablet Sports Illustrated presents. Watch it and think about the future of video production and consumption.